The OFW Journalism Consortium is an organization of media practitioners and OFW (overseas Filipino workers) advocates. We publish stories and send to recipients almost every month.

Give donation to Consortium

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Suspicious group campaigning against progressive senatoriables and partylists

Another smear campaign against progressive candidates is on the loose, this time from a group called SAMAHAN KONTRA KORAPSYON.

Migrante International revealed today a document proving efforts of a "suspicious group" to vilify senatorial candidates Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza, and partylists Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Kabataan, Katribu, ACT Teachers and Akap Bata. The group believes that this effort is part of a "systematic and well-funded shot of the military to block progressives in getting elected to the new government."

Migrante recently got hold of a letter addressed to a local official, who is also running as a councilor in Manila, which accuses said candidates and partylists as instruments of the Communist Party of the Philippines in the ongoing electoral fight. The letter also maligns Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza by labeling them as "berdugo and mamamatay-tao" and warns the receiver not to align and support the "communists".

The addressee requested not to reveal his name to avoid harassment from the sender. The letter does not have a senders' address on its envelope.

"This cheap trick is not new. Since the start of the progressives' participation in the partylist elections, Arroyo and the military already did similar efforts. They even went far as creating Oplan Bantay Laya 1 and 2 which aims to wipe-out the insurgency including people's organizations and progressive individuals, killing thousands and wantonly violating human rights," said Garry Martinez, chairperson of Migrante.

"But this terror tactics did not weaken the strength and influence of the progressives. It even contributed to the deepening dismay and distrust of the people with the Arroyo administration, in effect making the progressive movement even bigger and stronger," continued Martinez. ###